String powered vehicle toy



June 21, 1960 G. w. TRACY 2,941,332

STRING POWERED VEHICLE TOY Filed Dec. 2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6509615 W. TRA C Y ATTOIZN'EY June 21, 1960 e. w. TRACY STRING POWERED VEHICLE TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1957 INVENTOR. GL-IO/PGE. W. TRACY BY W ATTORNEY 7 2,941,332 sranso POWERED varncrn rov George W. Tracy, 333 El (Jielito Road, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Filed Dec. 2, 1957, Ser. No. 700,107

Claims. (Cl. 4-6-2l)2) My invention relates to amusement devices for young children and has particular reference to a toy wherein f vehicles are driven by an endless string along any preselected path. The device is intended to be operated by children aged 3 to 7.

I have observed that young children of the three to seven year old group are fascinated by moving vehicles. Electric trains, wind-up automobiles, electric motor boats, etc., have an unusual attraction and tend to keep them more occupied than other toys do. Usually, however, children of this age lack the manual dexterity to operate these devices and as a consequence either injure the toys or are forced to watch some older person operate the toy for them. For example, when an electric train falls off of the track or is short circuited, etc., it is usually beyond the ability of the normal three to seven year old to place it accurately upon the tracks. As a result, the circuit is shorted or the train otherwise refuses to run. Also, the child soon loses interest when others operate the train or the child is unable to operate it himself.

For this reason I have sought to devise a vehicle toy that is simple enough in construction and operation to permit young children to operate it. I have discovered that an endless string toy of variable size of layout satisfies these requirements and yet is highly attractive to the children. No fixed track or vehicle pattern is required, thus giving great flexibility of layout. The separate parts may be collected into a small package and conveniently and easily stored when not in use. The child maintains interest because the path of travel is not limited in length or direction. The toy can be operated in one room or through a series of rooms. It can be assembled in a few minutes and taken down just as quickly.

Generally speaking, my invention includes a plurality of wheels or drums mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane on independent vertical axes. One of the wheels may be powered as by an electric motor, and all of the wheels are interconnected by a string or its equivalent. The one powered drum drives the others by means of a string which acts as an endless drive belt. are attached to the string in any convenient manner and are towed along the path of the string. As the vehicles encounter the drums they merely follow the periphery of the drum until they reach the taut string path leading to the next drum. In this fashion the vehicles travel the path of the string, over and over again depending upon the wishes of the operator.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a path system for powered vehicles that is simple and flexible. 7

Another object is to provide a path for powered vehicles that can be varied by simply moving rotatable drums or wheels.

Another object is to provide a moving vehicle toy wherein vehicles are moved by an endless belt or string and the vehicles and string mechanism are supported by any floor surface desired to be used.

A futrher object is to provide a simple and reliable Vehicles gwnt connector between vehicles and string that permits easy riding of the vehicle about drums that define a string path.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent in the following description and claims considered together with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an illustrative form of the apparatus including four rotatable drums interconnected by an endless belt or string;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the driving drum of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation view of the driving drum of Fig. 2 viewed from the direction of the arrow III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation view of one of the idler drums of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevation view in full section through a presently preferred type of vehicle adapted to be towed by the endless belt; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view along the line VIVI of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1 it is one of the features of the invention that no mechanical structure is required to interconnect the various rotatable elements and accordingly the entire mechanism may be disposed on a flat horizontal surface such as a table top or a flat fioor in a dwelling, or upon carpeting disposed on the fioor. This flat surface is indicated schematically by the reference numeral 10 in Fig. 1. Disposed on the floor 10 may be a driving drum 11 and one or more idler tab 16 to help maintain the idler drum in position. A

piece of string 18 is then passed about all of the drums 11, 12, 13, and 14 and tied to an appropriate length and the drums are moved sufficiently to tighten the string so that the string will frictionally engage the drums. Vehicles 19 are then connected to the string in any suitable manner so that the string 18 will tow the vehicles about the path of this endless string 18.

Illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is an enlarged view of a presently preferred form of the driving drum 11. The drum may have an elongated base 21 upon which is mounted an off-on switch 20 disposed in a conductor 15 leading to an electric motor 22. The electric motor 22 has a rotatable drive shaft 23 which, in turn, drives a friction wheel 26 by friction. This friction wheel 26 may frictionally engage an interior surface 27 of a rotatable drum 31. The drum 31 may have a grooved periphery 32 which is engaged by the string 18 and the entire drum 31 may be supported on a central hub 33 resting on a tapered bushing 28 rotating on pin 34 Se cured to the motor 22. A lock ring 35 on the upper end of pin 34 may secure the assembly together.

It will be apparent that the motor drive described is of the type conventionally found on phonographs and the driving mechanism may slip if the rotation of the drum is arrested, thus preventing the motor from burning out or otherwise becoming damaged.

1 have found that young children are additionally at? Illustrated in Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a presently preferred form of idler wheel for the idler wheels 12 and 13 and 14. This may include a base member 42 which is centrally apertured at 43 to receive a pin 44. A rotatable drum 46 may have a generally vertical axis of rotation which is accomplished by means of a hub 47 supporting the pin 44. The outer periphery ofthe drum 46 is preferably grooved in a; shallow grooveas in 48 to receive the string 18. The pin 44 may be held by the rotatable drum 46 and may bevretained in the base 42 by means of a snap ring 49 or other suitable releasable fastener. M A

Illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is a presently preferred form of vehicle for attachment to the string 18. This form of vehicle employs removable axle and wheel assemblies so that the'string-can be snapped into the vehicle withg out breaking the string. Accordingly, a vehicle body 51 may have downwardly extending axle s upports 52 which are notched at 53 to receive an axle 54. {The child or other person operating the entiretoy merely pulls en the axle 54, causing it to elastically unsnap from the axle supports 52. The vehicle body 51 is then placed over the string 18 and the axles S4 snapped back into place as shown in Fig. 5. The string 18 thenpasses through the vehicle and frictionally engages the vehicle because of downwardly extending body portions 51a that deflect the relatively taut string" from a' straight path. Suitable wheels 56 may be connected tothe axle s 54. 7

As illustrated best in Fig. 1 it will be apparent that this rnode of connecting the vehicles to the string 18 permits the vehicles to ride about the-.variousidler drums or wheels '12, 13, and 14. As: the vehicles pass around the drum 12 the string will 'be'pressed towardlonetsideof the vehicle and the entire vehicle'will be pressed against the side of the drum 12 to becarriedabout the drum on its periphery. As the'vehicles pass to the drum 13 the string will pass to the opposite side of the vehicle permitting the vehicle to be held closely against the periphery of that drum but on' the opposite side thereof.

My drums may be constructed of any suitable material. These may be formed of pressed cardboard, metal, or other relatively rigid materials. I'prefer, however, to make them of a pliable plastic so that they will not break when they are stepped upon or otherwise deformed from their normal shape. The peripheral grooves 32 and 48 of the drums may be roughenedto enhance the frictional engagement with the string 18, or'they maybe coated with latex or other rubberlike material giving a firm frictional engagement with the string 18. Suitable vent holes 29 may be provided in the drum 3 1 to'permit circulation of air to coolthe motor 22. The base 21 of the driving drum 11 is preferably beveled as illustrated to permit the vehicles to ride over this base.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that any suitable drive mechanism may be employed for the driving' drum 11 and conventional phonograph drives are relatively inexpensive and are available on the market. The vehicles 19 are preferably specially constructed so that their fenders fit the drum grooves as illustrated in Fig. 6. Alternatively, toy autos available on the market can be used. The vehicles 19 maybe autos, trains, satellites, or wheel boats. Any suitable means of connecting the vehicles to the string may be employedsuch as clips, etc. Nor need the vehicles be'wheeled vehicles but could be simulated animals, airplanes, covered wagons, etc. Any number of vehiclesmay be attached to the string =18 as desired and they 'may be spaced along the string 18 by merely sliding the vehicle along the string whether it is moving or stationary. The string may be stopped at any time by stepping on it. Diiferent motifs may be created as between the drive drums and the vehicles. For example, Indian villages may be set up on the drums 11, 12, 13, and 14 and Indians riding horseback may be the vehicles 19 attached to the string.

For these and other reasons I do not wish to limit myself to the precise embodiment shown but claim all modifications and variations thereof as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A powered vehicle toy adapted to be assembled on a floor, or other horizontal surface, comprising: a base, a driving drum mounted on said base for rotation about a vertical axis, motor means on said base drivingly connected to said drum to rotate said drum on its axis, a plurality of idler drums each mounted on a base to rotate on a vertical axis, an endless beltfrictionally engaging the peripheries of said drums, said bases each being of such configuration that it is adapted to be located at any point on said horizontal surface so that said drums are independent of each other for selective location on said horizontal surface whereby said belt may be caused to describe a sinuous path, and at least one vehicle, means incorporated in said vehicle to frictionally engage said belt against substantial longitudinal movement along said belt but without substantial resistance to lateral movement of saidbelt with respect to said vehicle, whereby said vehicle may readily follow the sinuous path of said string about said drums.

2. The toy of claim 1, including a length of string for each said drum'and in which one of said strings is secured tothe base of each said drum, and a plurality of tabs, onesaid tab being secured to the other end of each of said strings whereby said bases'may be restrained from motionwhen the toy is in operation by placing a substantialweight on each of said tabs.

3. The toy of claim 1 in which said vehicle has a pair of axle supports adjacent the front end of said vehicle and a pair of axle supports adjacent the rear end of the vehicle, an axle carrying a pair of wheels removably mounted in each said pair of axle supports, said vehicle also provided with a downwardly extending horizontal portion extending downwardly beyond the horizontal plane of said axles when in position on said axle supports whereby said vehicle may be removably frictionally mounted on said belt.

4. A toy as specified in claim 1-, wherein the endless belt is astring.

5 The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said vehicle is provided with at least one removable axle so that the vehicle may be connected tothe endless belt by removing the axle and disposing the belt between the axle and the vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,058 Keck Mar. 11, 1902 848,408 Taylor Mar. 26, 1907 1,674,293 Marx June 19, 1928 2,066,239 Tahsler Dec. 29, 1936 2,451,801 Buchmann Oct. 19, 1948 2,510,310 Francis June 6, 1950 2,573,490 Rheinfrank Oct. 30, .1951 2,645,880 Richter July 21, 1953 

